Who Framed Inspector Fox
by Ramona Bandicoot
Summary: When the Paris Interpol station suddenly goes up in smoke and is almost burned to the ground, Inspector Fox is arrested and charged with burning down the building. Will she be able to prover her innocence and bring the real arsonist to justice or will she be the one spending the next ten to twenty years in prison?
1. Chapter 1: Up in Smoke

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any Sly Cooper characters; they belong to Sucker Punch Productions.

**Claimer:** I own all of my original characters.

_Well here's chapter 1! This was a completely random idea but I think it'll work. Anyway, please read and review and let me know what you think. Thanks!_

Who Framed Inspector Fox

Chapter 1: Up in Smoke

I shoved my glasses up on my snout as I looked over my paper work. I was up to my eyeballs in paperwork and it was the last thing I wanted to do. Going over booking papers, criminal backgrounds, physical traits and personalities of criminals, and even what certain criminals were wanted for; such as Cooper and my sister. I had a new partner but he didn't do anything helpful. He looked like he was always busy at his desk doing either paperwork or something on the computer, but I knew he was either doodling, writing love letters, or playing solitaire on the computer. Robert Harrison had to be the worse partner ever in the history of partners. He was lazy, boring, could never focus on his work, and was always trying to flirt with me. I'd fire him right now if I wasn't buried up to my eyes in paperwork; as if he helped. Robert was a rookie, new to the Interpol station and I was the one in charge of training him. Which I wouldn't mind doing…if he did his job like I told him to. I huffed and threw my hair from my eyes as I scribbled on the papers in front of me. I swiped my glasses of my face and slammed them down on the desk before rubbing the bridge of my nose. My head was pounding and all I wanted to do was relax.

"Did you get the new evidence folder from the copier like I told you?" I turned to the rookie in the desk next to mine. My desk faced the door to the office while his desk was to my right, facing the windows and couch to my left.

"No, not yet, sweet cheeks." I growled and stared the fox down. I was tired of his flirting games and all I wanted him to do was get his work done.

"One," I said firmly, "if you call me that or any other name one more time I _will_ break your jaw. And two, go get that file! I would appreciate it if you would actually do your work!" he chuckled and stood.

"Just calm down, Inspector," he laughed, "I'll get your file." He left the office and I rolled my eyes. I spun my chair around and looked at the evidence board behind my desk. I had information on the top five criminals I had been chasing for the past year. Along with Ramona and Cooper, I had the head of a drug dealing ring, a mafia leader, and corrupt government official accused of murder. Cooper and his gang were somewhere in Egypt doing who knows what and the last time I checked, Ramona was in Paris. If I timed everything right, I might be able to arrest her. I needed that evidence folder Harrison was supposed to get. It had details on all five of my case that were critical to the cases. If he could get back here in a timely manner I could put that stuff on the evidence board and have one less thing to worry about.

I shoved my glasses back on my face and turned to the paperwork on my desk. I rested my head in my paw as I continued to scribble information down. I stopped writing however when the smell of something burning filled my nose. It smelled like someone had left the coffee pot in the break room on and the coffee was starting to burn. I shook it off and returned to my paperwork. My office was quiet but there was a sound in the distance that made me curious. It was a crackling sound and the burning smell had gotten stronger. I placed my glasses on my desk and stood with one paw on my holster with my shock pistol. I gripped the gun as I made my way to my office door and I pulled it from my holster when I opened the door cautiously. I looked out into the hallway, my pistol held out in front of me, and I searched for anything suspicious. I was completely alone in the halls, something that was rare. I walked cautiously down the halls and inspected each room briefly. I wrinkled my nose when a strong smell of smoke hit my nose. I noticed thick, black smoke bellowing out of the copy room. I shined the light from my pistol in the room in an attempt to see if anyone was in there. I knew Robert had just gone in there to get a folder and I hoped he hadn't gotten stuck in there.

"Harrison!" I shouted into the doorway, "Harrison!" I didn't think he was in there, but I had to put that fire out. I could see flames shooting up the wall in the room and the smoke was getting thicker and more was coming out. I reached for the fire extinguisher in the holder behind me, but it wasn't there. The next extinguisher was on the next floor down and it'd be pointless to get it. I couched as smoke filled my lungs and my eyes started burning. I felt around for the fire alarm as the smoke filled the entire hallway. My fingers searched the walls for the red device and felt victorious on the inside when I finally found it. I pulled it but no alarm went off. I pulled it again and nothing happened. I could tell the fire was starting to spread and I had to get out of there. Hopefully someone had called the fire department and they were already on their way here. I stumbled blindly down the hall in an attempt to find the stairwell. The light on my shock pistol only reflected in the smoke and didn't help me see at all. The smoke was starting to rise so I went to the floor, crawling on my paws and knees and staying under the smoke. I could see a little better under the smoke but not much. I coughed again when I finally found the doorway to the stairs. I stood and stumbled down the stairs as smoke flooded the stairwell and I noticed that the fire had spread to the next floor down. I had to get down six flights of stairs until I could make it outside.

I quickly made my way down the stairs. I kept my nose and mouth covered with the bend of my elbow but my eyes were constantly watering. It was getting hard to breathe when I made it to the main floor and all I had to do was make it to the front doors. I could hear glass breaking behind me and I went to the floor. I shuffled quickly across the tiles of the floor and finally made it to the front door. I stood and tried to push through them, only to find that they were locked. I rammed my side against the door repeatedly with my shoulder, trying to bust it open. I cursed when red, hot flames shot up close to me and I coughed at the smoke. I hit the door a few more times and it finally opened. I hit the ground when more flames shot up and I crawled out into the streets in front of the station. I coughed as I inhaled fresh air and I crawled away from the burning building. I could see the other workers standing in front of the building, murmuring and whispering to themselves. I noticed most of them were giving me dirty looks as I finally made it to my feet. I stumbled away from building and heaved in lungful after lungful of fresh air.

"Inspector!" I heard Barkley's voice and I turned to face him, "You made it out! I was afraid you were stuck!" I shook my head and he ushered me to one of the ambulances to the side to make sure I wasn't hurt. I sat on the edge of the ambulance while the workers looked me over.

"What happened, Inspector?" I asked when Barkley walked up next to me.

"Well you don't need me to tell you that there was a fire," he slapped my arm with a laugh, "but that's all I know. Did you see anything while you were in there?" I nodded.

"I think it started in the copy room." He nodded and shoved his paws in his pockets.

"That's what Harrison said. That blasted idiot came running into my office screaming fire and didn't do anything about it. Remind me to fire him when this is all over." I nodded and he sighed, "Why don't you go home and get cleaned up? Then go to the jail and meet me in the office I had there." I nodded again and stood. I headed for my apartment and thought. Inspector Barkley had tow offices; one at the Interpol station and one at the jail. We didn't keep prisoners in the Interpol station unless they were wanted. We took lower crime criminals to the local jail. Then the fire popped in my head. It was so random and the building was in pretty bad shape.

I sighed as I opened the door to my apartment and shut it firmly behind me. I quickly made it to my bedroom and changed into a clean Interpol outfit. I didn't want to keep Barkley waiting too long but I wasn't ready to go back out. I sat on my couch and thought. I didn't know what could have started the fire; frankly I didn't know that much about fire other than they were hot and burned. I ran my fingers through my hair and groaned at my next thought. Every piece of information on Cooper, my sister, and every other criminal in the city was in my office and I was sure it was all toast now. Years of hard work down the drain. Not to mention files in the filing room were now dust in the wind. I flopped back and sighed softly. My head shot up when I heard a knock at my door. It seemed a little suspicious that someone was knocking at my door thirty minutes after a fire at my job. I stood and put my paw on my shock pistol. My finger slipped on the trigger as I looked through the peep hole on my door. My eyes widened and I opened the door quickly.

"Inspector Barkley," I said with surprise as I opened my apartment door, "What are you doing here?" Why would he be here? He was busy dealing with the fire at the Interpol office. I watched as he sighed and shook his head.

"Listen Carmelita," he said eventually, "my hands are tied in this situation. I don't have a choice." I furred my eyebrows and was taken back.

"You don't have a choice in what?" she shook his head and I noticed he rested his paw on his handcuffs.

"Miss Fox, you're under arrest in connection with the fire at the Interpol station." He gripped my wrist and I heard the unmistakable click of handcuffs as they snapped on my wrist.

"But I had nothing to do with that! I didn't set that fire! I was stuck in it, remember?" I shouted as he put my other wrist in the handcuffs.

"I'm sorry, Inspector, but the evidence is stacked against you." I shook my head as he pulled me from my apartment.

"What evidence? I didn't do anything!" he closed my apartment door and started heading down the hall with me in handcuffs. Usually I was the arresting officer arresting some criminal that had been caught. But now, I was the one being arrested in a crime I had no involvement in. I didn't burn down the Interpol station.

"Inspector, I didn't do this!" I said as he opened the door on his car and pushed me inside.

"I don't think you did, Carmelita. But you know how this works; I'm simply doing my job." He shut the door firmly and walked to the drivers' seat. Now I knew how it felt to be on this side of a cop car. Now I knew how it felt to be Ramona.


	2. Chapter 2: A Desperate Cry for Help

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any Sly Cooper characters; they belong to Sucker Punch Productions.

**Claimer:** I own all of my original characters.

_Here's chapter 2! Sorry for the update delay, I was being lazy but I did finally update. Anyway, please read and review and let me know what you think. Thanks! _

Chapter 2: A Desperate Cry for Help

"Pick up the phone, pick up the phone, pick up the phone," I chanted as I held the receiver to my ear in hopes of the person on the other end answering my call. Inspector Barkley had taken me to the city jail for holding until they decided if I was involved or not. He had his office here next to a few holding cells but I was the only one being detained. He had a few other suspects in his evidence boards but apparently I was the only one strong enough to actually make an arrest for. I had been framed by someone and I was determined to figure out who it was; I just needed a little help from a certain someone. Someone who was used to sneaking around, getting arrested, and getting out of tight jams; if they would only answer the phone. My leg bounced up in down in anticipation as the phone kept ringing and ringing with no answer. They had to answer, they just had to. I was getting nervous and my thoughts raced through my mind. I was a high ranking Interpol officer and this incident could cost me my badge, my job, my respect in the city, and even land me serious prison time. I wasn't used to being of this side of the law. I was normally on the arresting side, not the arrested side. But thankfully, I knew one person who could get me out of this problem.

"Hello?" I sighed in relief and smiled when I heard that out of place accent on the other end of the line.

"Ramona!" I practically shouted into the phone, "Please tell me you're in Paris!" my sister hesitated on the other end of the line but eventually answered.

"Yeah…" she said slowly, "I'm here for another week, why?" she was suspicious; I never called my sister unless I needed something or I was trying to set her up to be arrested.

"Listen, I'll explain everything in a minute, but you have to come down to the jail!" I heard her scoff on the other end of the line and laugh.

"How stupid do you think I am, Mel? Sure, I may have my moments and they be often, but I'm not _that_ stupid." I groaned and shook my head and tried to think of a way to explain this to her.

"I'm not trying to arrest you! Listen, did you hear about the fire and the Interpol station?" I placed my elbows on phone panel and quickly rand my fingers though my hair.

"Of course I did, that fire's the biggest thing to happen in this town since they busted that bank owner for fraud. It's a field day out here with that fire! Every cop in the city is busy with the fire so security at any building is at an all time low!" I heard a few distinct clicks of a lock being picked in the background and in registered in my mind what she was doing.

"Are you robbing a place now?" I almost shouted but if Barkley figured out who I was talking to then phone calls would be out of the question.

"Of course I am!" she laughed, "Like I said, it's a field day out here! This is better than when they have food on sale at the grocery store." I rolled my eyes and tried to get her down here.

"Listen, I'm in jail, Ramona, I really need your help here!" there was another pause on her end of the line.

"Of course you're in jail, you work with Interpol. You of all people should know that." I groaned and slapped a palm to my forehead.

"No you dimwit! I'm actually in jail! They arrested me about an hour ago; they think I'm the one who started the fire!"

"What?" by the tone of her voice she was surprised, "Why would you start that fire? You're the best officer they have." Finally, she understood.

"I don't know, but I need your help to get out. Please, Ramona, I need your help. You're used to being on this side of the law and you know how to beat the system. Please!" she paused again and there was silence on the other end.

"Give me one good reason," she said eventually, "You know just as well as I do that we aren't on good speaking terms. After all, you said I was a sorry excuse for a sister, remember that argument?" I mentally slapped myself for forgetting. Ramona and I weren't really on good terms with each other. The last time we had talked we had some harsh words, names were exchanged, and we hadn't spoken since. I could thank Cooper for that mess getting started but I'd deal with him later.

"Come on, Ramona, please? I'm in a jam here and I need your help. You're the only one I know that can completely beat the system and not get caught. Please? I'll make it worth the trouble." She hummed a little before sighing.

"Fine," I smiled, "I will get you out but you owe me big time. Give me some time to get down there and I'll figure something out."

"Thank you!" I shouted before she ended the call. I put the phone back in its holder before flopping in the chair in my cell. I groaned quietly and slumped in my chair. I was hoping Ramona could get me out of here and I could clear my name before the real arsonist got out of the city. I sat up when the door to my cell open and Inspector Barkley stepped inside. He shoved his paws in her pockets and took the cigar out of his mouth.

"Listen Fox," he puffed out the smoke from the cigar, "I know you didn't do anything, but it's my job to keep you here. But I don't see any reasons to keep you in here. Just do yourself the courtesy and don't let me _catch_ you messing with anything out here. Understand? Don't let me _catch _you." He stuck the cigar in back in his mouth and the badge walked back to his office. I walked out of my cell and looked around the room. Barkley's office was across the room and he had his door shut. The rest of the room was simply a few desks for officers to sit at, currently they were all empty at the moment, and a computer for booking and fingerprinting. I sat at one of the desks and looked over the papers, looking for anything that pertained to my case. The only thing I could find was the evidence board behind me. Of course, there was no actual evidence; only suspects. I was listed, along with Harrison, my secretary, and another officer.

My secretary, Phoebe Deans, was as crazy as she was stupid. She got the job as my secretary after failing her test to become an actual officer. I had been the one to evaluate her and it was obvious that putting a gun her hands would be like giving Ramona a shot of tequila; a really bad idea. After failing her test with flying colors, she applied to become my secretary. I felt bad for her not being able to become an officer, but the circuits in her brain just didn't completely connect. She barely understood the inner workings of a stapler, not to mention a gun, and her behavior scared me. She was constantly telling me to be careful when I went home because supposed aliens were coming back to kill us all. I usually ignored orange furred bandicoot unless I needed something and left her be. Ana Parkinson, the other Interpol officer accused in the fire, was someone who I couldn't stand. She was cocky, rude, arrogant, and a complete wench. She and I were constantly butting heads and giving rude comments about each other behind each others backs. That cougar was worse than Neyla.

"Fox!" Barkley shouted from his doorway, "Visitor." He shut his door and the buzz of the security doors sounded. A few moments later and Ramona flopped down in the chair in front of me. She leaned back in her chair, crossed her legs, folder her arms across her chest, and raised an eyebrow.

"And to think you get on to me when I get arrested." She smirked and I rolled my eyes.

"Look, save the comments for later. I'm desperate need of your help. You the best person I know who can get out of a jam like this." She nodded and placed her elbows on the desk, leaning forward.

"Well," she whispered, "you have two options. Do you want to break out or do you want to get out the 'correct' way?" she gave a toothy smile.

"Just clear my name, Ramona." Her smile drooped and she huffed while sitting up straight.

"You always want to do things the hard way," she crossed her arms again, "So how did you get in this situation anyway?" I sighed.

"A fire started in the copy room and I got stuck. To make a long story short I crawled out and got cleaned up. Barkley arrested me at my apartment and then brought me here. They think I'm the one who started the fire and if I can't clear my name then I'm going to be spending serious jail time in here. They did a search in my apartment and they took the clothes I was wearing when the fire broke out. They found traces of gas in the clothes but it's not from the fire. I had just filled up my cruiser with gas at the station and I got gas on my clothes. They haven't done a chemical search of the station so they don't know what started the fire," Ramona nodded and I noticed she was scribbling things down on a sheet of paper.

"Do you know what else they took from you apartment?" she glanced up from her tablet and I shook my head.

"No, they record all of it then put the files up in their cabinets that are locked down tight." Her ears perked and she tossed her tablet on the desk. She leaned in close and her voice was low.

"Where's the evidence locker?" I pointed behind me and she stood.

"Right there, why?" I noticed she opened her pouch and placed a large, zipped book on the desk next to me. She unzipped it and I realized it was her lock picking kit, "What are you doing?" I whispered harshly.

"Picking the lock." She mumbled. She turned and clicked the four sticks in the lock until it clocked open, "Jackpot." Ramona sang as she opened the drawer.

"Are you crazy? If they find out that lock was picked then I'll get blamed for it." She turned to me briefly and raised an eyebrow.

"Like you know how to pick a lock," she turned back to the cabinet, Let's see what is behind door number one…" she shuffled through the papers and objects inside, "Shock pistol," she handed me my gun and kept searching, "cell phone, car keys, arrest file, search warrant, some loose change, a finger printing kit, and that's about it." She placed all the objects on the desk and sat back down.

"Alright," she said quietly, "keep your phone on you. Call me if you need anything or find anything out." She picked up her tablet again and glanced to me, "Who else are they suspecting? I'll do my research and see what I can find."

"Well, there's me, Robert Harrison, my partner. There's also Ana Parkinson, another officer and Phoebe Deans, my secretary." She nodded as she wrote the names on her paper.

"I'll see what I can find out about these people. I'll see if Charlotte can do some hacking and get some information," she paused for a minute and looked up, "Wait, that fire shouldn't have happened if they had a fire alarm and sprinklers inside."

"I know! But when I went to pull the alarm it wouldn't work. Do you think could look into that also?" she nodded and stood.

"Sure, but for now, keep on the down low. The less you seem to know about this case, the better." I nodded and I handed her my shock pistol.

"Take this," I whispered, "I can't have a firearm in here so you take. But only use it if you absolutely have to. If not, keep the safety on it! I don't want to be responsible if you shoot someone." She smiled and took my gun.

"Trust me, everyone will be safe around me," she looked over it briefly and raised an eyebrow, "How weird is it that I'm the one playing cop and your playing criminal?" she giggled and I nodded.

"Call me when you find something out. I can put it on the evidence board and if we can get enough information they'll let me out." She nodded.

"Can do, but remember, just keep on the down low." I nodded and Ramona left the station. I slumped in my chair and could only hope that this was going to end well.


	3. Chapter 3: A Suspicious Partner

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any Sly Cooper characters; they belong to Sucker Punch Productions.

**Claimer:** I own all of my original characters.

_Well here's chapter 3! I know it's a little short…but it's posted! Anyway, please read and review and let me know what you think. Thanks. _

Chapter 3: A Suspicious Partner

I glanced through my arrest files after Ramona left. According to my files, the gas on my clothes, the summation of gas starting the fire, and the fact I was the only one crawling out of the fire when the building was on fire was enough to place me under arrest. If we could figure out what really started the fire, it would help my case. We would also need to prove who had the accelerant that started the fire. For all I knew, they could say that I put the real accelerant down then filled my cruiser then deliberately spilled gas on myself to hide it. All Ramona had to get was a sample from the copy room so I could run it through a machine here to see what caused the fire. We also need alibis from all the suspects. I could get one from Robert but Ramona would have to go out and find Parkinson and Deans in order to get their alibis. She didn't know then and since they were 'law abiding' members of the force, they would have to tell her their alibi. I groaned and rubbed the bridge of my nose to try and get my mind to relax. I didn't have a doubt that I would be able to prove my innocence I just hoped I could do it in time before I was put in a court room. I noticed a cup of coffee was placed in front of me and I looked up to see Harrison sitting in front of me.

"Well it looks like the rumors of your arrest have been verified." He said as he emptied a few packets of sugar and cream into his own cup of coffee.

"No kidding," I muttered as I did the same, "I didn't start that fire and I don't think they have enough evidence to hold me." he shook his head and sipped at the coffee.

"I don't think they have enough either. They don't even know what started the fire and since you had gas on your clothes, they already make an arrest. And just because you crawled out of there doesn't mean you started that fire. Plenty of other workers crawled out of there also. Look, I went by the building and it is absolutely scorched. You're lucky to have made it out of there alive and unharmed. The fact that they have you in here is a horrible decision."

"Thanks," I muttered, "Do they suspect anyone else in the case?" he nodded and used his finger to motion me closer. I leaned in and listened.

"Barkley," my eyes got wide and he explained, "The rumor is that he would benefit if something happened to that building, say a fire. He's been trying for years to get a new Interpol building but he was always denied. So, if something happened to that building, he would get the money and he could use that to get a new Interpol building."

"But wouldn't he get caught?" he shrugged at my question.

"Maybe, but he is the head of Interpol. Now, who has the guts to put the highest man in the Interpol station under arrest? He's practically untouchable. So there's a motive but no proof yet.

"Barkley wouldn't do that, would he? He might have wanted a new building but burn down the one we have now just for that." He shrugged and sat back in his chair.

"He might," he sipped at his coffee again, "but power, money, opportunity, and a high ranking job can do strange things to people." I slumped in my chair with my cup in my grasp.

"What's the word on the street? Have you found anything else out?" again, he nodded and explained.

"Well, the whole town has already almost turned against you. It's already the top story on the news and since you've been arrested, everyone thinks you set that building on fire."

"But I didn't do it!" I shouted. He patted my paw gently and smiled.

"Look, I know you didn't start that fire. I have you crossed off my suspect list." He winked and I raised an eyebrow. I really wasn't in the mood to have him try to flirt with me. This was a serious matter!

"What do you know about the security systems? Why weren't they working during the fire?" he shrugged.

"No one really knows yet. It hasn't been investigated yet." I nodded and decided I needed to figure out his alibi.

"What happened to you during the fire, anyway? I know you went to the copy room where the fire started." He raised and eyebrow and his ears perked.

"I really hope that you're not accusing me of starting that fire?" this wasn't good. I didn't want him to realize I was trying to figure out what I was doing.

"No, no, no, or course not. It's just that you were in the room with the fire and you made it out alive! If I was stuck in there I would have died! I just want to know how you did it."

"Good," he muttered, "I had gotten inside that copy room to get your file, which by the way was completely destroyed, and the fire was already starting. So I went to the wall to get the fire extinguisher but it wasn't there. So I went to pull the fire alarm and it didn't work. By then the fire was starting to blaze so I went to Barkley and he called the fire department. Then, well, you crawled out as the building was completely engulfed in flames." I nodded and sipped at the coffee. He stood after tossing his cup away and stretched.

"I'm going to go and see if I can find out anything else. Oh, by the way, Parkinson was the one who pushed for your arrest. I'd keep a close eye on her." I nodded and he turned to walked away. As he passed by the table near the computer, I noticed he took a folder but tried to hide the fact he took it. I stayed silent and simply watched him take the folder and leave. No one was allowed to take an evidence folder from this station, even the lead officer of the case in question. After I was sure he was gone, I walked to the table to see what he had taken.

I noticed he took the folder with the statement from each suspect. Why would he take that? I looked through the other files to see if anything else was taken. Thankfully everything else was there. The ding of the door opening got my attention and I craned my neck to see who had entered. Thankfully it wasn't another officer or reporter for a statement, just Ramona. I keep looking on the table to see if anything else had been taken. Things such as a recorder with the said statements, which was also gone, and any piece of confiscated items. Ramona stepped beside me and briefly glanced to the table before handing me a small, glass container with a lid. Inside where sever or eight large flakes of a black substance. I furred my eyebrows and looked to the thief.

"What's this?" she smiled widely and pointed to the container.

"That is a sample from the wall from the fire's point of origin." This could be something that could break the case open and prove my innocence.

"Where did you get this?" she crossed her arms over her chest and I realized the stupidity of my question.

"My refrigerator," she thumped my forehead, "where do you think I got it?" I led her to the small makeshift 'lab' we had on the other side of the room.

"Well how'd you get it then, Miss Sarcastic?" she chuckled and I turned the machine on.

"I managed to sneak into the copy room while the officers were on a break. I tried to get it as close to the source as I could, which I could only assume was near the actual copy machine. But it was in that room so it counts!" she chuckled and I placed the vile inside the machine to allow it to scan.

"As long as it was inside that room it should be a clean sample." I muttered as the printer started spitting out the results of the test. I snatched it from the printer and looked over the readings.

"Hmm," I hummed as I looked over the results. Ramona's head snuck around my shoulder and looked at the paper as well.

"Well that's not good." She muttered and I agreed. These results were not what I was hoping for.


	4. Chapter 4: One Small Problem

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any Sly Cooper characters; they belong to Sucker Punch Productions.

**Claimer:** I own all of my original characters.

_Well here's chapter 4! Sorry for the update delays. Sometimes my internet decides to be funky and not work. But I did finally get it posted. Anyway, please read and review and let me know what you think. Thanks!_

Chapter 4: One Small Problem

"You think!" I shouted as I looked over the paper again. Sure, the machine gave results but instead of words telling me what the accelerant was, it decided to use numbers that I had no idea what they meant.

"Don't get snappy with me, Princess," Ramona snapped, "Look all you have to do is find a manual or something that can tell you what these numbers mean. After you find that, you compare the numbers with the manual, and boom, you have your accelerant. And if we can't find one, I can get Charlotte to look this over and figure out what this means."

"You're not the one that's getting the heat for this! You're not being charged with a crime you didn't do!" my sister raised an eyebrow and locked her jaw to the side.

"Mel, if I had a dollar for every time you accused me of stealing something I didn't, I wouldn't need to steal anymore!" I looked around the analyzer to search for the manual on what these numbers meant. Luckily I was able to find two copies. I tossed one to Ramona and kept one for myself. If we both had a copy, I'd be faster to figure out these numbers. She followed me out back to the desk in the other room and sat across from me. I started at one end of the book and she started at the other after putting on her glasses and we both searched for the answer to our problems.

"Question," I muttered after flipping through a few pages, "I don't know if you know the answer to this, but Harrison was just in here and I noticed he took the statement file and recorder. He tried to hide it but he took it. Do you know what he could want to do with that?"

"Well," she said as he pulled her glasses off her face and gnawed at the tip of the ear piece, "he could want to do lots of things. He might want to make a copy for his own records, which is unlikely, he might want to alter what was said so it directed the heat away from him, or he might want to alter what was said to point the finger at someone in particular. I don't know for sure but that's my guess. People do it all to time to save their skins when they get under the light."

"But would he be able to alter the audio on the recorder? The text would be easy but I don't think the audio would be easy to do." I asked as I glanced to the raccoon across from me.

"Oh yeah, it's actually easier than you think. With either your own software or you have enough money to pay someone under the table, a person, a microphone, and some editing software can go a long way. One minute you have someone saying, 'No, I didn't burn down that building', and the next minute that same person says, 'Yeah, I burned it down, I was bored'. And then since he's an officer and has access to that same paper with an official seal, all he has to do is type whatever the new audio says, print it, and there, you have an interview that is a totally fake. And then whoever actually gave the interview who can say whatever was really said can't be trusted because it's from memory. Someone could easily say 'Well maybe they don't remember what was said and they're getting things confused.' Why believe what comes from a person's mouth when something different is on audio and an official document."

"Do you really think he would do that?" she shrugged and put her glasses back on her face.

"I don't know. I've never met him so you know more about him than I do." She looked back at her copy of the manual and we searched for what these numbers meant.

"Ha!" she shouted after a while, "I found it! What's the highest bar on that paper? Give me the number for that bar." I glanced to the paper and searched for the tallest bar.

"Forty-five." She ran a finger down the page looking for the number.

"Gas didn't start that fire," she looked up, "Acetone did."

"Acetone? Isn't that in nail polish remover?" she nodded and shut the book. I closed mine as well and she removed her glasses.

"Now who here uses that?" I scratched at the back of my neck and thought. There were only two people that I knew that actually used that.

"Well, there's Parkinson and Deans. They're the only two that I know of. All the other female officers don't wear nail polish." She slumped back in her char and groaned.

"We know what started the fire but we're not closer to a culprit. With your partner stealing files and two possible people with an accelerant, we're right back to where we started. Only we know the gas from your clothes didn't start that fire."

"Wouldn't you need a large amount of acetone to start that fire?" she shook her head.

"You don't need too much acetone but you would need a lot of nail polish remover in order to have a fire that big. Unless they used something else that had acetone in it. But what else has acetone as a main ingredient?" I shrugged and she started biting at her nails.

"Did you find anything about the security systems?" her head snapped up and I could tell she mentally slapped herself.

"I knew I had something else to tell you," she laughed, "I had Charlotte look into it while I got that sample. According to what she found out, that system was turned off at one fifty-six P.M the day of the fire. And if I'm thinking correctly, the fire started around four in the afternoon, right?"

"That sounds about right," I muttered, "Now we just have to find out an alibi for everyone and confirm it. I got one from Harrison but I don't think he was telling me the truth. I can get one from the other two and Barkley, according to Harrison he's in question."

"How are you going to know if he told the truth or not? If you ask him again he'll tell you the same and if Barkley asks then he'll tell him the same thing." I nodded and glanced to her.

"What are you getting at?" she raised an eyebrow and I flashed her a smile. She figured out what I was getting at and shook her head, "No. I'm not going to do it. Nope, it's not going to happen. You better wipe that smile from your snout, because I'm not doing it."

"Come on, Ramona, put on your game face and pour on that signature Ramona Bandicoot flirt. Get him to tell you where he was. He can't lie to a pretty face, Ramona. He's too cocky to do it. He'll tell you where he was."

"I don't even know what the man looks like. How am I supposed to do it?" she wasn't going to weasel her way out of this.

"Then just wait here until he gets back. I'll go to the bathroom to give you some privacy and you can make your move. Just get his alibi then say you have to leave then call me when you're outside and let me know what he says."

"No!" she wined and slumped in her chair. I rolled and eyes and scoffed. She was going to do this no matter what.

"Oh come on, I would do the same for you." She shook her head and folder her arms across her chest tightly.

"No you wouldn't! You'd be the one trying to put me in jail!" I swear, sometimes she acted like a child. All she had to do was get him to tell her his alibi. She was going to do it, I would make her if I had to.

"Please, Ramona." She groaned loudly but finally agreed. She pressed her ears to her skull and pouted in silence. She wasn't happy about it but I needed his true alibi or verification that the one he told me was true. We sat in silence and waited for Robert to come back to the station. We had the substance that started the fire, one possible alibi, and the time the security system was turned off but that was it. We had no real leads, we had no singled out suspects, and we weren't any closer to getting me out of jail. I tapped a pen on the desk as we continued sitting in an awkward silence. The two of us hadn't really been on good speaking terms for a while now and since we hadn't really patched things up, things were still a little rocky between us. Hopefully when this was all done and over then we could have our old sisterly bond back.

"Ramona," I whispered, "Harrison just came in." I motioned for her to go talk to him and she grimaced. She glanced to my partner, then to me, and groaned. I motioned her away again and she finally stood. I could only hope this would work.


	5. Chapter 5: Shady Actions

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any Sly Cooper characters; they belong to Sucker Punch Productions.

**Claimer:** I own all of my original characters.

_Here's chapter 5. I don't really have that much to add other than after this I'm out of story ideas. I had another one in the works but I decided that it wasn't one that I wanted to do. So, I'm always up for story suggestions. Anyway, please read and review and let me know what you think. Thanks. _

Chapter 5: Shady Actions

"Get over there and get his alibi!" I whispered harshly, "He just put the recorder and the file back on the table. Go distract him so I see if he changed anything!" I motioned her away and she shook her head. She finally stood and walked to Robert after slamming my boot against her tail. She growled but eventually slunk her way to the fox. Immediately, a charming smile came across her face and Ramona made her move. Meanwhile, I snuck from around the desk and over to the table where he had dropped off the folder and recorder. I glanced to my sister and my partner, who was attempting to charm his way through Ramona's outer shell, before opening the folder and looking through the papers. I didn't really read the statements yet, I was going to wait until he left, but I wanted to make sure nothing was missing. I grabbed the recorder and folder and quietly walked back to my desk. I hid the folder underneath a few others and quickly shoved the audio files in the drawer. I turned my attention to the computer, just trying to keep from looking at Harrison and my sister. I pulled out the keyboard and entered the server. I opened the files and searched for the scanned copy of the statements. Once something was put inside the database, you couldn't delete it. So if even one word was different than what was in the computer, then I knew he had changed it.

My fingers flew over the keys as I continued to search for the records on the case. I eventually found them and again glanced to the two just a few feet from me. He had his back turned towards her and was going through his briefcase; probably looking for a business cards to giver her his phone number. While Ramona, well, was being herself. She was effortlessly and seamlessly robbing the man blind. From the time I had looked up she had managed to swipe his wallet and a keychain with a jump drive on it. She went unnoticed and silently shoved her new belongings into her back pocket before he turned around. When he did turn around, she gave him a sweet smile and he handed her a small card. The two parted and went their separate ways. Harrison exited the building and Ramona made her way back to me. Her smile faded as soon as she had turned around and she silently groaned. She flopped down in the seat in front of me and placed the card on the desk.

"I swear if I had to put up with that man every day of my life I'd die. I don't know how you do it." I chuckled and started to compare the two copies of the reports, looking for any changes.

"Did you get anything new from him?" she rested her elbows on the desk and shook her head.

"No, he told me the same thing he told you. He's sticking to his story but I'm not sure if it's true or not," she sighed and pulled out the wallet and key ring she had stolen, "but there was something about him that was familiar. I know him from somewhere but I can't place a name. That's not his real name, I'm sure of it."

"You know him? From like a heist you've done or just seeing him on the streets?" I looked up from my paper and she nodded.

"From a heist," she leaned in and spoke softly, "I've seen him before but I can't remember where and I can't give you a name. He's got the same cocky and arrogant attitude and he uses the same pick up lines." She started going through the wallet, dumping everything out and searching it. I looked away from the papers and watched Ramona work. After the wallet was empty, the started looking at everything carefully. His license, a few coins, his credit cards, a few photos, and some dollar bills fell out of the wallet after it had been given a shake down. She looked carefully at his license and credit cards but shook her head after a while.

"I can't find anything on him. Either he's telling the truth or he's really good at hiding things." She muttered as she shoved the contents back into the wallet.

"What about the jump drive?" I asked while tapping my fingers on the desk. I was getting antsy and wanted some answers. If Ramona said someone was lying, then she was telling the truth. If Harrison was the one who started the fire and framed me, I wanted to know and I wanted him jailed. She tossed me the device she had stolen and I shoved it in the computer. If anything went from the drive and onto the computer then he'd get blamed. Since I was arrested, they disabled my information to login the system so I had to use Harrison's. I gave Ramona the two statement files for her to look over while I looked through the files he had on the jump drive and searched for anything interesting or suspicious. There wasn't really anything of interest as far as I could see. A file full of family photos, assignments I had given him, and phone numbers that mainly consisted of family members or small businesses within the city. I was ready to toss the jump drive until something caught my eye. It was a file that was basically a to do list. I opened it and looked through the documents. Everything was listed by date and I scrolled to look for the day of the fire. I eventually found it and attempted to read what was written there. Only, it was completely coded. I couldn't figure it out. It was just a bunch of scrambled letters in a line. What he was doing with a message like this was beyond my imagination.

"How do I decode this?" I muttered more to myself than anyone. If we could decide this then we might have a big break but I can't figure it out.

"Look for a message decoder. If he's got coded messages then he's got a message decoder. All you have to do it punch those letters into the decoder then wait for the message to work its way through." Ramona muttered as she kept her eyes on the papers in front of her. I did what she said and searched for a decoder. It wasn't anywhere in the jump drive so maybe it was on his computer in my office. Or maybe in the computer in his home, if he had one there. Only I couldn't get out of here to go figure it out. I'd have to get Ramona to do it for me. I took the jump drive from computer and tossed it on the table. I sighed and rubbed my temples. I was getting stressed and ready for this to end. I didn't set that building on fire and it was getting difficult to prove my innocence. We had the alibi from Harrison but we still needed one from Parkinson and Deans. I'd talk to them the next time they came in the office and figure out where they were. In the meantime, Ramona had to get these messages decoded.

"Well," her voice snapped me from my thoughts, "I don't know what he did with these but I can't find anything different about them." She leaned back in her chair and picked up the device I had thrown at her.

"That's good," I muttered, "but I need another favor. I can't find a decoder. I need you to get into my office and get on his computer. Look for a decoder or a way to get these messages sorted out. I'm going to get an alibi from the other two suspects. Call me when you've figured this out." She nodded and stood from her seat.

"Can do." She muttered quietly before making her exit. I groaned loudly and I was beyond stressed. I turned to the evidence board and looked at what my sister and I had figure out so far. The gas from my clothes didn't start that fire, acetone did. But we weren't sure who had the acetone to begin with. We also learned that Harrison had taken the statements folder but didn't change anything. We also found files on his jump drive that were coded. Granted, we had no idea what they said. I updated the board with the evidence we had collected and groaned. I was ready to pull out my hair if we didn't get this solved soon.

"Well, well, well, look who it is," I turned and growled to myself when I noticed Parkinson had come in silently, "It's the local town fire bug."

"What so you want Parkinson?" I snapped and she gave a falsely sincere smile.

"Oh nothing," she mused, "I just wanted to see you get what you deserve. After all, isn't it your motto that criminals should be brought to justice? You can't slither beneath you own motto, Inspector." She giggled and I growled. Maybe she was the one who tried to frame me. After all, we hated each other and there's nothing more she would like to see than me loose my job or get arrested.


	6. Chapter 6: Two New Alibis

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any Sly Cooper characters; they belong to Sucker Punch Productions.

**Claimer:** I own all of my original characters.

_Well, this chapter's a little short, but it's posted! Again, I'm out of story ideas so I'm always up for suggestions and please read and review and let me know what you think. Thanks. _

Chapter 6: Two New Alibis

"I'm trying to prove my innocence, Parkinson. I didn't set that fire and you know it." I growled. She barked a laugh and placed her paws on her hips.

"How cute!" her high pitched voice was full of sarcasm, "You're trying to insinuate that I started that fire. I know what you're trying to pull, Fox." I sighed and leaned on the desk.

"I'm trying to help myself out here and I suggest you do the same. Where were you when that fire broke out?" she laughed again and shook her head.

"Listen, you're far beyond help if you think _I _started that fire. And are you asking me for my statement?" she raised an eyebrow and I knew I wasn't going to get anywhere fast.

"Yes," I spat out, "Now where were you?" she gave her false laugh again and pulled out a nail file.

"I already gave my statement to Barkley. I don't need to tell you where I was. If you want to know then look at the statements taken the night of the fire." Since she wasn't going to give it to me straight forward, then I'd have to pry it out of her.

"Hey, you take good care of your nails, don't you?" she gave me a sideways glance and knitted her eyebrows together.

"Yeah…why?" she was suspicious but I needed to know who had nail polish remover which could lead me to acetone. Which could lead me to the person who started the fire and clear my name.

"Would you say you use a good amount of polish remover?" she shrugged.

"I used to. Now I just go to the salon every other week. I used to do them myself until the bottle of remover I had in my desk kept disappearing." That caught my attention.

"It just disappeared?" she nodded and put the file back in her purse.

"Yeah, I'd come back from lunch and I'd be gone. But that's all that would be taken. I had my wallet in there but nothing was taken from it. It was just really strange. So, I got tired of buying more bottles so I just go have them done professionally now."

"Did you have any in your desk when the fire started?" she shook her head, "And you're sure of that? So you had to be in the building when the fire started?"

"Look," she sighed, "do you want to know my alibi?" I nodded and she walked to my desk and leaned in, "I was in France." I huffed and growled.

"I know that, be specific." She gave a mean smile and continued.

"I was in Paris, France. Present day. True story." She giggled and walked into Barkley's office.

There was still something fishy about her but I couldn't pin anything on her. I still needed an alibi from my assistant but I had to wait until she came down here; if she ever came down here. I still needed that decoded message from Harrison's computer in my office. In my office…that was burned to a crisp. I mentally slapped myself for telling Ramona to go there. I could assume she'd figure it out and we'd have to figure out another way to decode his messages. I sat down at the desk and slammed my head against the heavy wooden top. I had a horrible headache and I wanted to go home, but I couldn't. I had been here for close to four hours and I was exhausted. I brushed the hair from my face and looked up. I noticed Phoebe had walked in with a clipboard and placed it on the desk next to mine. Now was my chance to get her alibi.

"Phoebe," I said and waited for her to respond. She looked away from me, searching for the source of the voice. I rolled my eyes and called out to her again. She finally found me and smiled.

"Inspector, I heard they arrested you." I nodded and motioned for her to sit across from me.

"Hey let me ask you something," I said after she sat, "where were you doing the fire?"

"Which fire?" I sighed and hated dealing with her stupidity. The girl just wasn't the brightest crayon in the box.

"The fire at the Interpol station, the whole reason why I'm here. That fire!" her lips formed an 'O' and she smiled.

"Oh that fire! I was in the lobby on our floor. Robert said he saw smoke from the copy room and he told me to leave. Where you in the building?" I mentally slid and paw down my face and screamed but I kept my mouth closed.

"Yeah, I crawled out, remember?" again, her lips formed an 'O' and she stood.

"At least you're safe. But I have to go talk to Barkley about the reports coming in from another town's office. They want to send in a fire chief to inspect the fire." She picked up her clipboard and bounded into Barkley's office. She closed the door behind her but I realized something had fallen off her clipboard as she walked away. I made sure she was inside his office before I walked to the paper she had dropped. I picked it up and looked over it carefully.

"This is that message decoder!" I whispered quietly, "Why would she have this on her personal clipboard? But she's not smart enough to plan that fire. Unless she's working with someone on the inside. I pulled out my phone and called Ramona.

"Hey," Ramona's voice came through the phone, "that go to your office idea isn't going to help us."

"Yeah I realize that now. But listen, I found that message decoder on Deans."

"The dumb one?" she could be crude, but she was right. All Ramona had to do was get down here, decode the message, and I might be able to get out of here.

"Yep, look, get down here quick. If we can decode that message and show Barkley, I can get out of here!" Ramona agreed and we hung up. I looked over the decoder and thought. Why would Deans have this on her? Could she be hiding something or was it evidence she needed to get to Barkley. Well whatever it was, it was suspicious and I'd have to keep my eye on her from now on. Maybe she wasn't as dumb as she was letting people believe.


	7. Chapter 7: Cracking the Code

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any Sly Cooper characters; they belong to Sucker Punch Productions.

**Claimer:** I own all of my original characters.

_Again, I'm sorry this is short but this is starting to wind down. I only plan to have 3 or 4 more chapters and then this story will be finished. And like I've said before, I'm completely out of ideas so I'm always up for suggestions. Anyway, please read and review and let me know what you think. Thanks! _

Chapter 7: Cracking the Code

"I absolutely hate decoding messages." Ramona grumbled as she tried to crack the code from Harrison's jump drive. I had no idea how these things worked, I normally had other officer decode messages when I needed them to do so, so Ramona had to figure it out.

"Are you going to be able to crack it?" she scribbled on a piece of paper and growled softly.

"I think so," she pushed her glasses on her face, "but I'll need a while." I nodded and spun my chair around to face the evidence board. I had an alibi from Deans and Harrison but I still needed one from Parkinson. I could only assume that the statement she gave at the scene was true. I had gone over the files dozens of times and according to her, she was on her lunch break. That wouldn't put her near the station when the fire started. But Deans and Harrison were in the building when the fire began. In fact, Harrison was in the same room as the fire. I scribbled their alibis on a piece of paper and stuck them with the rest of the evidence. I also added the fact Deans had the decoder and the decoded messages on Harrison. I didn't have much evidence on Ana, but I couldn't cross her out yet. Barkley was also a suspect in this case. I turned back around and sighed.

"I can't decode it," Ramona tossed her pencil on the desk, "This is only half the decoder. I need the other half in order to figure this out." She crossed her arms over her chest and sighed.

"Well where am I supposed to find the other half?" she shrugged and I felt like my last window off opportunity to go home was just shattered.

"Well, you said you got the first have from that brainless secretary of yours, maybe she has the rest. What good is gun without the bullet?" I groaned loudly and slumped in my chair.

"What do you want me to do? Go through her stuff?" she nodded and I shook my head violently.

"No! I'm not going through her stuff! If I'm caught then I'll look bad! You do it." She scoffed and narrowed her eyes at me.

"Oh sure, let me get caught if someone comes out of that office. That's supportive, Carmelita."

"All I'm saying is that you'd be more likely to do it than me! I mean, you are a thief so it won't look out of place." Her fur started to bristle and her voice rose.

"Out of place? I'm out of place just being here! I could get arrested if anyone who's smart enough to know who I am can recognize me! And why would I be more likely to go through her stuff? Does it look like I want to steal a sheet of paper? Besides, I'm a thief, not a snooper."

"All you have to do it look for the other half of the decoder, Ramona. You're a sneaky person so you won't get caught." That just seemed to set her off even more.

"So I'm a sneak to you know?" she stood, "Wait, are you just using me to get your tail out of hot water?"

"No!" I shouted but then paused, "Well, maybe, but it wasn't my intention!" she shook her head.

"Not your intention? Why did you even call me to begin with? What have we been talking about nonstop? Your case, that's what!"

"I needed help, Ramona! I can't figure this out for myself!" she rolled her eyes and brushed her bangs away from her face.

"Well you need to learn how to! I'm done with this. I'm going home." She turned and stormed out of the building, letting the door slam behind her. Well if I wasn't screwed before then I certainly was now. She was my only ally on the outside. I sighed and shoved the half of the decoder underneath some papers and slumped in my seat. I was stuck and I had no idea what to do. A moment later Deans came out of Barkley's office and marched up to the desk.

"Inspector, have you seen the statements folder? I need it." I shook my head and she thanked me before rushing out of the building. Why would see need that file? She's not an officer investigating this case. I pulled out the statements folder, I wasn't about to let her see it, and opened it. Harrison had taken the folder but didn't do anything that I could see. I opened it and looked through the papers inside and something caught my attention. A smaller piece was taped to the side of the folder, something that wasn't there when the papers were first placed inside. I ripped it off and looked over it. I almost felt my eyes pop out of my head. It was the other half of the decoder! Harrison must have put it in there when he took it. That's why he took it to begin with! I put the two decoder halves and looked at the message that was on the jump drive. It looked like I had to match up certain letters to the decoder to figure out what was printed on the paper. It took me a while but I eventually cracked the mysterious code.

'_R.H. - Matches, wig, security systems…report to rendezvous point after fire. –P'_

I had an idea on what this message meant but 'P' was still unknown. It was obvious R.H. stood for Robert Harrison but the 'P' was mysterious. It could stand for Phoebe or it could stand for Parkinson or someone completely different. I'd figure that out later but it was obvious Harrison started that fire. I slammed my new information on the evidence board and called for Barkley. He waddled out of his officer, cigar in his jaws, and stood next to me. He looked over the board and smiled.

"Good job, Fox. It looks to me like you've cleared your name. As far as I'm concerned you can go home." He patted my shoulder before returning to his office. I smile and bolted for the doors. I still needed to figure out a way to arrest Harrison and this mysterious 'P' but for now, I was just glad to be out of jail.


	8. Chapter 8: Home Again

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any Sly Cooper characters; they belong to Sucker Punch Productions.

**Claimer:** I own all of my original characters.

_Again, sorry for the delay in the updates but I did finally get it up! I only plan on having two more chapters after to so this is starting to wind down. And again, after this I really don't have any story ideas so I'm always up for suggestions! Anyway, please read and review and let me know what you think. Thanks! _

Chapter 8: Home Again

I flopped down on my couch with a sigh. I was so glad to be out of that jail and back home, but this case was far from over. I made a copy of the message from Harrison and looked it over multiple times. _'R.H. - Matches, wig, security systems…report to rendezvous point after fire. –P'_. I had no idea what to do with this. There was something strange about this note…it wasn't complete. I understood the security systems reference and the matches, but the wig made no sense to me and what about the acetone? It wasn't even on the note but was the main ingredient in that fire. I wanted to know who Harrison was working for; this mysterious 'P'. There was a huge possibility that it could be someone at the station, but who was it? I had to talk to Barkley about this, but I couldn't do it with anyone around. I knew the Inspector had nothing to do with this fire, besides being the owner of the building, and he was being framed as well as I was. I needed to talk to Barkley but I needed my facts straight in my own mind so I could figure out everything that was going on. Harrison, and whoever he was working for, started that fire. The copy room was the point of origin, and thanks to my sister, we discovered that acetone was the accelerant used to start the fire. Harrison admits to being in the copy room but said he ran when the alarms didn't work; I knew that was a lie because of the note found in his personal belongings. Harrison was the one who started the fire, but was probably doing the bidding of someone else. Parkinson never gave me her alibi, but she admits to have acetone in her desk. Only, she claimed it was stolen multiple times. Deans said she was on my floor when the fire started but had nothing to do with it. I was in my office when the fire started and had to crawl out. The doors had been bared, blocking my exit, so now another idea came to mind. Was someone trying to kill me instead of frame me?

I didn't want to think about that now. Right now I wanted to get Harrison in jail and figure out the identity of his boss. I shoved the message in my pocket and picked my jacket up from the couch. I slipped it on quickly as I headed out of my apartment building. Barkley could help me figure this out, but we needed my 'partner' in custody before he burned down anymore building or hurt someone in the process. Another question on my mind was why he burned the building down in the first place. Maybe he was trying to kill or frame me, but there might be another reason behind it. I really had no idea and right now my mind was going a mile a minute. I briskly hurried down the street in an attempt to catch Barkley before he went on his lunch break. If he wasn't there, I'd wait in his office until he returned and expose Harrison. Something that still bugged me was the reference to the wig in the note. There was no way Harrison could possibly dress up as me; he body was a total opposite of mine. He was taller, had more muscled, and had broader shoulder than I did. But then again, maybe there was a possible third person, a female, who could do it. I remember hearing from Barkley that a few others had apparently seen me go into the copy room a few moments before the fire. I knew they couldn't have since I was in my office that entire morning. But, a third person didn't really make sense. Having three people do a two person job wasn't right. Something was odd about this situation and I was determined to figure it out.

I finally reached the steps of the jail and opened the door quietly. I shut it firmly but silently and stepped inside the eerily quite building. Barkley's office door was to the left but I could hear anything coming from inside. I quietly tapped on the glass of the door and opened it. My head peered inside, hoping to find my boss, but sadly, he was no where to be seen. I shut the door and turned around, ready to wait outside his office. I jumped in surprise when I noticed Harrison coming our of the janitors closet, locking the door behind him. His ears perked and his eyebrows furred when his eyes landed on me and frankly, he looked surprised to see me standing there. He had a scowl on his face and there was something wrong about this situation. I could feel the tension in the air as he stepped away from the janitors' closet and towards the front doors. My chest tightened when I noticed he locked that door as well and turned the security system on.

"Inspector Fox," he said after the door was secured shut, "I didn't expect to see you back here. After all, you have been accused of…so much." I nodded and he walked over to the desk I had been sitting at all day.

"I didn't either," his head cocked and I continued, "but I need to talk to the Inspector. Is he here?" he shook his head and leaned against the desk, removing his gun, not shock pistol, but gun from it's holster. Thankfully he kept it pointed towards the ground as he started cleaning it carefully.

"No, he's not. I haven't seen him all day." I nodded slightly and stayed near Barkley's door.

"Do you know if he's at lunch? Or when he'll be back?" he shook his head again and put new bullets inside the gun. He was making me nervous. He wasn't talking much and the fact he had his gun out, made me uneasy. He was the person who started this fire and had been the cause of my arrest. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that if the person you framed is out of jail…they have a pretty good idea of you put them in there in the first place.

"I have no idea. Is it important that you talk to him?" I nodded and he did as well before returning to his gun, "What's so important? You think you know who started that fire?"

"N-No," I stammered, "I just wanted to know if he found anything else out. Did you find anything else out?" he nodded and closed the loading chamber on his gun, keeping it close at hand.

"Oh yeah," he said with a nod, "I actually learned a lot about you. I learned that you don't seem to quit until you've figured something out. That's why you're the best, right? I also learned, that you had assistance in finding your information about this case; a thief. You see, only a select few people know that half of your family members…are thieves. Sure, you siblings know of course, Cooper knows, and you know. That's it. Barkley doesn't know and neither does anyone else here. I recognized your sister the moment you told her to talk to me. I've done dealings with her before and let me tell you, it didn't end well."

"So, you've done dealings with a thief before?" he nodded but kept talking.

"I have, but you're directly related to them. You know just as well as I have that because your sister is one of the top five most wanted criminals in the city and you let her in here without arresting her…you can get fired. So let me make you a deal," he stood and came close to me, causing me to back up against the door to Barkley's office as he loomed over me, "If you tell anyone about me and that fire, I will let this entire city know about you and your family relations to a group of highly wanted criminals. Got it? You keep your mouth shut, I'll keep mine shut. I know good and well that you figured out I was involved in that fire, but you don't know the other half, _Inspector_. So, do we have a deal?"

"No, you almost got me killed! I'm not letting you walk away from it without punishment!" I shouted as I managed to walk around him and towards the front door. My paw touched the handle, ready to leave, when I remembered that he had locked the door, "And I don't care if you let it slip that I'm directly related to thieves! I can find a new job." He nodded slowly and turned to face me.

"Really? Well then, I guess I could keep my mouth shut about that. I could just get rid of my problems at the source." My heart started pounding my chest as his fingers touched his gun in its holster. I reached for my gun on my side but felt my heart drop when I remembered I didn't have it; Ramona did.

"Can't seem to find your gun, Inspector? Are you regretting that you gave it to your sister for safe keeping? Let me tell you something," he pulled out his gun and took the safety off, but kept if pointed at the ground, "You did a good job at figuring out that I had something to do with that fire, but you didn't figure it all out. We will get away with this, and you can't stop it from happening." He glanced behind him briefly as another person, who I knew would be the mysterious 'P', stepped beside him. I was surprised when I saw who it was. It was the last person I would have suspected.


	9. Chapter 9: Gunpoint

**Disclaimer:** I don't own any Sly Cooper characters; they belong to Sucker Punch Productions.

**Claimer:** I own all of my original characters.

_Again, I'm really sorry for the update period. I've been lazy and haven't felt like writing on this lately. But I've changed it to make this the last chapter! I know I said two, but since it's taking so long to update I really want to go ahead and finish it so another update won't take weeks. I have another story idea in mind. It's Sly 4 themed, not really on time travel but more on the ancestor part of it. So if you have any suggest for that I'm always up for suggestion. Also, since that's still a thought and not a definite story, I'm still always up for ideas so if you have any please let me know! Other than that, please read and review and let me know what you think._

Chapter 9: Gunpoint

"Y-You?" I stammered as 'P' strolled up behind Harrison with a smirk. My paw gripped at the handle to the front door, hoping it would open and I could escape.

"What? Did you really think _I _couldn't have been part of this?" her voice became childlike and mocking, "Let me guess, it couldn't possibly be poor, dim-witted Phoebe Deans, could it? Why, no it couldn't, she's just a simple secretary." She gasped dramatically and placed her fingers over her mouth in false surprise. It was Phoebe Deans; she was this mysterious 'P' and the mastermind of this entire thing. I furred my eyebrows and tried to think everything through.

"You're 'P', aren't you?" I directed my question to the bandicoot and she scoffed with laugher.

"Oh Inspector, you didn't do your research, did you?" her smile faded just as quickly as it had come up, "I'm not 'P' you moron! He is!" she pointed to Harrison and my mind was spinning.

"No," I shook my head and pointed to my partner, "he's R.H. Robert Harrison! You're 'P', Phoebe!" this time the two arsonists laughed and shook their heads.

"You really didn't do your homework, Inspector," Harrison mused, "Think about it," he pointed a finger in my direction, "If your sister recognized me as a criminal, why would the force hire me on unless I used an alias? Why would they hire criminals like us?"

"Then how'd you get in? Who are you two?" I was so confused. Everything I though I had found out had been blown out of the water.

"Do the names Rachel Harps and Dylan Phelps ring a bell to you?" I furred my eyebrows and looked at the two. Those names were on the list for the top two arsonists in the world. I remembered looking at their files a few days ago. And that was them!

"That's you!" I shouted and pointed my finger towards them, "You two are the most wanted arsonists in the country! How'd you sneak past Barkley?"

"Easy," Harps said cheerfully, "You have an eye on the inside who can change your files and you'll be amazed what can happen," She narrowed her eyes and gave a half smile, "You still don't get how we did it, do you?"

"Then let me explain it to you, 'partner'," my old partner sneered, "You see, I wanted you locked up for life. You and your team arrested me when I had a warrant for my arrest. I spent four years in jail because of you and I wanted to make you pay! So, when I found someone else you had arrested just to make yourself look good, we teamed up. And since we both wanted you arrested for life, what else would be a better way than burning down your place of work? Even if you weren't blamed, you'd be out of a job. If we could frame you for that fire then you'd be thrown in that soulless jail for the rest of your life."

"So," the secretary continued for him, "he signed up to be your new partner and learn your schedule and think of a way to frame you while I got a job as your brainless secretary so I could go anywhere in the building. Once he figured out what would work…we got to planning. You see, I'd dress up as you and go inside that copy room and wait for Phelps to soak it with Parkinson's polish remover before I lit the match. But how you I possibly look like you, you ask? Well, you'd be surprised what an orange and yellow boa can do along with a blue wig," she smirked, "And since I had the position I did, I had the chance to turn off the security systems…giving us the perfect cover."

"Then, after I soaked the room with the acetone and she lit the match, we made a run for it. Making it look like it was started randomly. And with a few well placed pieces of evidence, you were arrested and took the fall."

"You're crazy," I muttered as I shook my head, "I was only doing my job to arrest you! You're insane to do this!" I needed to get out of there and to some higher authorities. Only, they had guns and I had nothing.

"We're not crazy," the fox murmured, "You're just out of luck." He pointed his gun towards my face and his partner did the same. I didn't know what to do. I was in a jam and it didn't look like I was going to get out of this one. They took the safety off their guns and got ready to shoot. That is until they both toppled to the ground, shuttering was bolts of electricity moved through them. I looked to the doorway behind them and noticed Ramona standing there, my smoking shock pistol in her grasp, with Barkley and his gun.

"I have got to get me one of these!" Ramona said with a smile and she twirled my gun on her finger.

"Are you alright, Inspector?" Barkley asked as he took the guns from the floor and placed them on a nearby desk. He slapped handcuffs on both criminals and left them unconscious on the floor, "You really should thank your sister, Carmelita, if it wasn't for her giving me the information the two of you found, you'd probably be taken out of here in a body bag. And don't worry; I'll keep your family relations with Ms. Bandicoot a secret." He smiled and carted the two away. After she was gone I glanced to my sister who was still twirling my gun on her finger.

"So you decided to come back?" I asked with a raised eyebrow. She smiled and nodded.

"Well, I figured you'd need this and I figured out what they were planning when they left. So, I figured I'd stop by and see what trouble you were in." she tossed me my pistol and I placed it in my holster.

"Thanks," I said simply before hugging my sister. Sure, we were on opposite sides of the law and rarely saw eye to eye, but there were time that we got along. And this certainly was one of them.

_I admit, I feel bad for the length of this and just finishing it in this chapter, but I did want to go ahead and get it done. So I hope you enjoyed it and again, sorry for the update delays. And again, I'm always up for story ideas so if you have any you want me to do just let me know!_


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